


Not an Illness After All

by Araminia16



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hyperemesis gravidarum, Moar Fluff, Quickening, Talk of ending pregnancy, weird cravings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-01-23 19:17:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18556108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araminia16/pseuds/Araminia16
Summary: An extension on my Illness Prompt for Rayllum Week. Written in four parts to cover each trimester and the birth with some newborn stuff.Primarily rated T except the third chapter has a vague adult theme within so M it is!





	1. First Trimester

“Wait, Rayla. Let me get that.” Callum hurried over to her and lifted the box in his stick-like arms. He struggled a little to put it up on the shelf and Rayla sighed softly in annoyance. She had been with child all of two weeks now and Callum as well as the rest of the male population seemed to think she couldn’t lift but a wee pinky lest she crumble like a castle made of sand. The first few days she thought it was adorable and sweet he wanted to make sure she didn’t overexert herself. Her energy level hadn’t improved with the past two weeks either though the nausea came and went at odd times. 

He turned to her and his eyes widened as she took on a green tinge. He had darted across the bedroom to the lavatory as Rayla hurried before she began to heave up the contents of her breakfast. Callum took her pale hair in hand and held it back from her face as he rubbed her back in circles. The motion soothed her as the heaves subsided. He hated to see her sick but knew from what the healers had told them it should pass in a few weeks. “Water?” 

“Yes.” She panted out and he handed her the glass next to him for just this situation. It never hurt to be over prepared. Rayla took a few swallows from her seat on the floor and sighed. “This little beast is already going to be punished before it’s even born.” 

“It’s not the baby’s fault.”

“No. It’s yours.” She grumbled and stood as he let her hair fall back. “You and your--.” She gestured to his groin. “I wouldn’t be in this mess without that.” 

“Excuse me. It takes two to make a child and you didn't’ complain when it happened. In fact I think I heard the words ‘Callum please. I need you.’ So don’t give me that.” He realized he had probably said the wrong thing when her eyes narrowed. 

He didn’t wait for her to land her blow to the side of his head. “What did you just say then? I think I misheard you.” 

“Sorry, Rayla. I didn't’ mean it. It’s just I’m--.” He dodged a projectile thrown his way as he darted across the room. 

“Ya didn’t mean it? Well how about you carry this wee creatures inside ya then? Have it upset your stomach and breasts and make ya feel so tired you can barely keep yer eyes open? I could sit there and spout about how it takes two.” She lobbed pillows and clothes at him mostly until they both were winded. Then after a beat tears began to pour down her cheeks and she wailed. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to try to hurt ya.” 

He approached then more comfortable with her tears than her rage. He managed to sit onto the bed and pull her into his shoulder as her body heaved with sobs. “Shhh. It’s okay. I shouldn’t have said that. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He rubbed her back as she wet his clothes and sniffled. 

The mood swings were something they were both now used to. Her rage, then sadness, then happiness and nausea were interchangeable at the drop of a hat. Callum could usually navigate them decently well and keep her happy but there were times where he couldn’t. 

“I’m hungry but the potions aren’t working to keep me from being ill. I can’t eat and I just want ta sleep but I can’t. I need ta train and keep up watch for Ezran.” 

That had been a topic of discussion since her pregnancy had been revealed. Her work as a member of the Crownguard. More than qualified when she came to live in Katolis Ezran had fervently agreed to her appointment and she had more than proved her worth in the past few years to him. She wanted to continue to train and serve and Callum had some concerns about both those things. 

“Will you want to guard him up to when it’s born?” He asked quietly. 

“Well no, of course no’.” She mumbled into his shoulder, “Just fer now. I’m not even showing and it’s barely bigger than a seed from what they told us. The healer said I could do everything I did before.” 

“I know but maybe you should think about taking a few days to rest.” 

She didn’t reply and he looked down to find her eyes closed and in a light doze on his shoulder. 

Callum bent down to kiss her head, “I love you.” 

She mumbled something back to him as he shifted her around and laid back onto the bed with her head still cradled atop his shoulder. At least she slept now. 

But as they thought the nausea had improved one day a week later they were proved wrong as every little change in motion, scent or just a stray wind had her at the lavatory. Callum sat at her side and offered her sips of fizzed water with crackers. A remedy for nausea one of the older ladies had given him. Rayla tried to take in the water she lost with each upheaval to her digestion as best as she had been able and they thought they could beat it. The tonics didn’t work and each day she weakened. 

Bedridden now at a solid week of nothing but vomit Callum carried Rayla to the physician and once the healer laid eyes on her he rushed over and barked orders to his assistants. Callum couldn’t hear them for the way Rayla’s chest seemed to rise and fall too fast and the thready way her heart beat in her wrist as he pulled it up to his mouth. 

“What’s wrong?” Rayla croaked out to the healer. “Is the bairn well?”

Callum cared about the baby. Of course he did but the baby was nothing compared to her. Whatever this was would kill her if it kept up. “Let’s worry about you right now.” 

“You seem to have one of the worse case of morning sickness I have seen yet.” 

“What does that mean?” Callum didn’t mean to sound harsh but he couldn’t help it. 

“It happens sometimes to mothers. No one is quite sure why. Something their bodies make too much of is the theory. Most recover with time.” The unspoken end to his sentence set Callum’s heart to ice. 

“How do we fix it?” 

“How long has she been this way?” The physician pinched up her skin and watched as it tented and fell back into place slowly. He took stock of her eyes, then of her mouth where she bared her teeth at him. “

“A week. I thought we were keeping ahead of it.” 

“Apparently not. She should have been brought here on the third day. Has she been eating?” 

Callum already felt as if he had failed as a husband and now a father in name only. “No. Of course not. She keeps throwing everything up. Water. Crackers. She’s dry and hungry and nothing comes up but bile anymore.” He half yelled as his fists clenched and the air around them sped up. 

The healer put his hands up in placation as Rayla extended a weak hand to Callum to reassure him and he tried to relax. 

“There are things we can do. Try hydration, a topical mixture, to attempt to contact Elven healers aside from the one who treated you before.” He trailed off and looked uncomfortable then cleared his throat. “Or the most drastic would be to induce a delivery and your symptoms would resolve after the--.” 

“No.” Rayla struggled to sit up and put a protective hand over her belly. “No. I will not do that to my child.” 

“You heard her. Now fix her.” 

“Surely you could find some way to heal her as a mage, Prince Callum?” 

“Healing has never been my strength.” Callum stroked her wrist with his thumb. 

“Very well.” The healer nodded. Lycas. That was the healers name Callum remembered now. 

“Thank you, Lycas.” He nodded and looked back at Rayla who offered him a smile of reassurance. 

Luckily, after he spoke via ravens with the healers from the other kingdoms he crafted a hollow needle and tube connected to a bag of water with components within which should calm her nausea. Callum wasn’t sure what it all was about by Lycas seemed confident it should work. 

The first day yielded little in result and Rayla continued to vomit up whatever in her stomach she attempted to eat though the assistants had to keep her arm straight as she moved. 

The second day was better. She was able to drink and eat a little. The third even better and the by the fourth she had devoured breakfast, lunch and dinner and wanted more food. Ravenous had been the word of the day while Callum brought her every little morsel of food he could. Ezran came to visit a while on the second day and they joked and played cards. It was a favorite pastime between the two of them he hadn’t had much to do with. It had always been better with the three of them. 

Rayla smiled at Callum. Her husband and all the love she felt for him doubled, tripled every day and she leaned over a kissed him when he seemed distracted. “What are ya thinking about then?” Her eyes were bright and her skin a healthier sheen.

“Too much.” He offered with a smile and kissed her back. “You almost died. And I can’t help but think it was my fault.” 

“No. Not yours.”

“I thought about it.” He confessed softly. “To sacrifice it to save you. I thought maybe elves and humans were never supposed to have children and this was a sign.” He looked down at his hands in shame. 

“I know. I was so miserable I even thought about it for a moment. A heartbeat. There’s always another way and we found it again. We are really good at it. Just look at us. An elf and human. With a bairn that could have pinkoes and horns or even a tail for all I know.” 

“A tail?” He arched an eyebrow at her. 

“Well. Maybe not a tail.” She laughed. 

Footsteps and a throat being cleared brought their dual attention to Lycas with a smile on his face. “I am going to release you. But if you should feel even the slightest bit like you did before I want you to come here right away. Don’t wait. Until then you must rest and recuperate. I have given strict orders to the King about your well being and he knows about your bedrest.” 

Callum grinned triumphantly, “See. Rest.” 

She punched him in the shoulder, “Fine. Get this thing out of my arm. I want to go back to my own bed to ‘rest’.” She spat the word out as if it were a dirty thing. 

“I love you.” He whispered in her ear as Lycas left after he pulled the hollow tube from her arm and covered it with a bandage. 

“You too, my dumb human. Let’s go.”


	2. Second Trimester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for more fluff and snark.

XxOxX

Her symptoms waned and waxed with each day but after a time she began to take less in the way of naps, food sounded better and her appetite doubled. It was those events for which Callum felt grateful.

“You want me to make what, Prince Callum?” The head palace chef stared at him as if he had grown a second head. “I know it sounds gross but that’s what she wants.”

“Onions and moonberries in a pie? Are you quite sure?”

“One hundred percent. She practically started drooling when she told me to get one for her. I think she’s insane but at least she wants food.” 

“It will take some time to create.” 

“I have time. I’m not going to go back into that room without it. She’s hungry and grumpy and I want to keep all my parts attached.” 

The head chef nodded and began to give orders to his staff to cut onions and gather up moonberries, and gather ingredients for the pastry crust. “I know there has been no such official announcement but is it true about her condition?” 

Callum sighed. He didn’t blame the man for being curious but everyone who he talked to anymore wondered about Rayla’s condition. “Yes. She’s pregnant.” 

“And it is yours?” 

“Of course it’s mine! We’re married.” Callum half shouted incredulously at the man.

“So sorry, Prince Callum but no one has ever heard of a half human half elf baby.” 

“Well with us being at war and whatnot I would be surprised if you had.” Callum grumbled, “How long should this take?” 

“About an hour.” 

“Well then I will be back in about an hour.” The chef and his staff bowed to Callum as he exited. He headed to the library to read more on what they should expect in the months ahead. It never hurt to be prepared for anything though the texts on elven pregnancy were few and far between and he had some more items on the way from Xadia. 

He settled into his favorite chair with the book in hand when he felt a familiar presence nearby, “Hello Callum.” 

^&^&^&

Rayla roamed about the room with new energy. The wee parasite grew in her womb seemed as if it settled in nicely. The drain on her very soul had lessened so naturally with her renewed energy she had rushed to the healer a few days past. It was a woman this time who reassured her there was nothing wrong. It was natural to have a burst of energy when the child settled in and the groundwork laid for its growth. All she had to do was feed her body and the child would continue to flourish. That was easy. Her appetite had been near insatiable recently and she chuckled when she thought of the look of horror on Callum’s face when she requested her newest food. It was a near rabid for her to crave such a strange combination but it was not her. It was the child. Her wee little bean though now it should be bigger than a bean. Rayla stopped in front of the mirror. The shirt she wore fitted tight around her bust now and she noticed Callum stared quite often anymore at them. Hands lifted up the bottom of her shirt and she examined her still flat and muscled belly with the slightest curve near the bottom as she always had. The pale purple flesh showed no sign of the stretch she knew would come. 

Tired of the four walls of her shared room she opened the door and decided to search out her treat on her own. 

#$#$#$#

“Claudia.” The word lacked the warmth it used to when he would address her. When he would stare after her as a lovesick boy who idolized her. 

“Brrr.” She rubbed her arms as if she truly felt cold, “That was a little harsh don’t you think?” 

“Maybe.” He shrugged. Things had never quite been the same between them after what happened with their travel to Xadia and the events which happened after. Her father and what happened to him fractured their friendship beyond repair. “What did you need?” 

Dark magic hadn't been banned. Not yet though the other rulers had conflicted views on the subject. Claudia didn’t use much magic anymore since she found out what could happen to those who dug to deeply into it. “That’s fair. I actually had a question for you about a rumor I heard the other day.” 

He looked up from his book then at her as she stood across from him with a gentle, bright smile. Her hair once a dark black and purple now nearly white with her corruption, “Oh?” 

“It’s about Rayla. You and Rayla.”

“Yes.” 

“That wasn’t a question.” She stated in confusion.  
“No. It was answer. Yes.”

“You don’t know what I was going to ask.” Claudia put hands on hips then. “I could have asked if she was leaving you or something.” 

“But you weren’t.” He pointed out. “I know you better than you think. We used to be best friends, remember?” 

She remained quiet with a shadow to her gaze, “Of course.” 

“So yes. Rayla and I are going to have a baby. We didn’t want to make a big deal about it yet. She’s been ill and we don’t want to ferry questions or accusations from anyone at the moment.” 

“Congratulations.” The response resonated with warmth and he cocked his head at her. 

“Really?” 

“Were you expecting a different response, Archmage?” 

He had to think on it a moment. “I don’t know.”

“We don’t have to avoid each other you know.”

“I’m not avoiding anyone. Our paths just don’t cross anymore.” 

“Hello Claudia.” Rayla’s voice carried across the room. 

“Rayla.” She nodded at the elf.

“She knows then?” 

“Yep.” Callum decided to look down at his pages then and stay out of whatever was about to happen. 

“What do you think then? Is it an abomination?”

“Of course not! I’m happy for you guys. I was just telling Callum that.”

“Really?” Sarcasm dripped from the single word suspended in disbelief. 

“I know you think there’s some residual feelings between Callum and I but there’s not. I’m really happy for the two of you.” 

“Why are you here? I thought you left the kingdom after--.” Rayla trailed off as Claudia winced. 

“We did. Soren and I but I just got back. I missed my home. I had hoped to-- well nevermind. It’s not important now.” 

“I’m sorry about your father.” The words hung suspended in the air between the two women as an act of kindness Rayla had rarely shown the human woman. 

“Thank you.” Claudia whispered. “I’ll catch up later.” She fled then and Rayla squeezed her husband’s shoulder. 

“I thought I told you I wanted food and yet I see you here reading and talking to her, husband.” 

Callum winced at her grip. She only called him husband when she was upset. “It was going to take some time to make. They just don’t have that stuff laying around you know. It’s weird.” 

Rayla would punish him later but for now she decided to collapse into his open lap and snuggle into him until she could eat. 

%$%$%$

Weeks later along with her new favorite food she started to notice finally her pants were too tight. It started slowly and barely noticeable when the leather dug into her belly skin. There lay a firmness which was not there before. A little curvature only noticed by Rayla until she tried to fasten her pants one morning with no success. Callum walked in to her flat on her back in bed with her pants around her hips and a pout upon her face. 

“What’s going on here?” He gestured to her predicament. 

“They won’t fit.” She grumbled. He gave her a confused look. “My pants you dummy. They won’t fasten anymore.” 

Callum let a slow smile spread across his lips and burn into his cheeks as he rounded the bed and knelt between her thighs at the end of the bed. 

Rayla felt heat rush through her at the familiar position. He usually took it up when he was about to put his mouth onto her and though she felt frustrated at her clothes a new feeling emerged. “What do you think you are doing down there?” Her cheeks pinkened as she spoke. 

Callum seemed to realize how it looked as well and he quickly stood up and leaned on the bed next to her. “Can I?” He gestured to her lower belly where her pants lay open. 

“I’m still not sure what you mean.” She teased him now.

His cheeks darkened more and he cleared his throat and fidgeted, “The baby.” He muttered then and she reached up to ruffle his hair. 

“Of course. Ye don’t even have ta ask me that. It’s yours too, you know.” She felt some of her earlier heat cool as he reached tentative fingers out and place the warm tips out onto the pale skin of her mostly flat belly. Rayla could see it more when she lay flat like this. The roundness, the small hill between her hips jutted out and his fingers started close to her belly button and trailed up the rounded hill then ended at the opening of her pants she couldn’t close. He splayed his hand, larger now than it used to be over it then and she felt the warmth in her chest pulse and multiply with affection for the wide eyed look of wonder. She softened with it while he drummed fingers along the skin. “It’s firm. Our baby.” 

“Yes our wee little parasite is starting to take over my body.” 

“You love it.” He accused gently while he stroked her skin and drew closer, “Hello there.” 

“I don’t think it can hear you.” She carded her fingers through his hair and couldn’t stop the stupid smile on her face. 

“I wasn’t sure if the healer was right about the baby.”

“I was.” She grumbled. “It’s been feeding off me ya know.” 

“I think we need to find you better pants.” 

“I like these pants.” She sighed. “It’s only going to get bigger.” 

“Yep.” He nodded enthusiastically. 

Rayla sighed in mock annoyance though she felt anything but while they lay on the bed and stared at the place their child rested. 

%$%$%

It took some time to convince both Callum and Ezran, oddly protective as he is now, to not complain when she wanted to train. She didn’t do much as out of practice as she was now. She practiced form, stretches, and even maintained a jog for longer than she thought she would be able to now. Her leather pants had to be replaced by cloth ones she tied together. The rounded curve seemed to grow in size each day and now more people noticed her state than before. Rayla tried to ignore the way people looked at her, the whispered words, and even the ones who glanced her way with narrowed eyes. They were set to announce her pregnancy within the week and she couldn’t be more nervous though she really didn’t understand the formality. It wasn’t as if it had been kept secret. Gossip spread faster than a wildfire through a parched forest here. Though it was the same in Xadia and they were due to travel to her home in another month to stay until just before the birth. Oh and the idea of birth, how this little beast would appear was not something she wished to think about either. 

She took a moment to rest on one of the benches after her exercises and leaned back to enjoy the cool breeze when she felt it. A strange flutter under her belly button almost as if she stood at a great height and looked down. Immediately her hand pressed to her small rounded belly and her heart quickened. She remained still as a statue for more time than she thought necessary and just when she had been about to dismiss the strange feeling it appeared again. 

Oh. How wierd. Like a butterfly brushed wings inside her it happened a few times in succession and she couldn’t stop the dumb smile that spread across her face if she wanted to. Her desire to train forgotten she stood and trotted toward the castle in search of her husband. 

She found Callum in his study. His enormous study at the top of one of the towers. He had giddily showed her his archmage laboratory though it was more a library than anything else. 

 

Rayla didn’t wait to burst into the room as the door thudded loudly into the wall and in her hurried energy her husband flailed wildly in a chair tipped just too far back to fall forward and instead both he and the chair crashed to the floor. 

“Ach. Are you okay?” She rushed over to the heap of clothes and books amidst the form of Callum who groaned. 

“Geez, Rayla you scared the heck out of me.” He grumbled then his eyes widened and he scrambled up onto all fours in a rather comedic fashion and looked her over. “What is it? Why did you run in here? Are you okay?” 

“Fine you clumsy man. More than fine. I finally felt it.” She chirped giddily and at his confused expression she sighed, “The baby. I think I felt it move.” 

Callum’s expression broke into one of joy and he placed his hand on the roundness there. “Is it moving now?” 

She paused, “No. I don’t think so. But it did before. Like a little butterfly inside me. You probably couldn’t feel it yet. It’s not big enough.” Rayla gave a surprise squeak as he pulled her closer and rested his cheek onto the firm bulge there. 

“I love you.” 

“I still don’t think it can hear you.” 

“I wasn’t talking to it. And shouldn’t we stop calling the baby it?”

“Well I have a lot of other names for it like parasite, creature, wee beastie but I don’t think I should use those, do you?” 

He chuckled and sighed. “Probably not.” 

“Well it’s either a boy or a girl.” 

“What do you want it to be?” Callum looked up at her. 

“Preferably healthy. I don’t know anything about bairns so either is fine. I suppose you would want a boy then?” 

“I haven’t really thought about it to be honest.” 

“Well then ‘it’ it is.” 

$#$#$#

The announcement went about as well as Rayla thought it would with harsh whispered words after and looks of revulsion her way. It made her place a protective hand over where her child grew inside her. More and more she thought about how the people would take to her half human child. Not well it looked like though the still young Queen Anya seemed to be thrilled with the news and came to her afterward to ask after her health and give her support. 

Rayla noticed in the past few months how Ezran’s body language would change around Anya. How he would act like Callum used to in the early days of their courtship and how he would blush and stammer at times when she talked directly to him. They would be so adorable together. 

Callum stationed himself right at her side as they roamed about the room while the nobility gave their congratulations both false and sincere and they were both grateful by the end of the night no one had made a scene. 

It was later when they were alone together and Rayla lay upon their bed in a thin shift she watched Callum peel off each layer of his clothes and felt the stir again. It had been so long since they had last made love and though she wanted to now she didn’t know how to bring it up and so she merely smiled at him as he turned and climbed into bed with only shorts on to cover himself. He put his back to her after he placed a long, sweet kiss to her lips then one to her belly. Rayla took up her usual position at his back with her breasts and now a little of her belly pressed to the smooth muscle of his back. He would sometimes change up their arrangement to hold her close but she preferred to be the ‘big spoon’ as he called it. This way she could protect them better if they were attacked. Her body still buzzed with arousal even as she drifted off to sleep.

$%$%$%

Callum gasped and immediately he felt his cheeks burn at the wanton sound as Rayla pressed him into the stone of the deserted castle wall. Her lips and teeth pushed and tugged at his mouth with fervor as her hands roamed across his shoulders and down his chest. 

She parted from him with little pants and her pupils nearly consumed the purple iris. A high blush spread across her cheeks and she dove back in and this time he responded with eager vigor. 

They hadn’t done anything like this in weeks, months, and his body flared to life with zeal as she reached into his trousers and he had to stop her. “Rayla. What about the baby?” 

She parted from him with a glare, “Safe and tucked away. Do you think your tool is so large it will touch the bairn? It’s a fine thing but not some monster. Now shut up and kiss me.” 

Callum’s argument ended as she began again until they were sated against the stone of the castle in quiet sounds of euphoria. 

#$#$#

She brought his hand to her belly suddenly and he pressed his palm to where she directed. He felt disappointment bubble up and just as he started to remove his hand it felt it. A little pop against his palm. Rayla smiled widely at his look of shock. “I felt it.” He whispered. “Do it again.” He whispered to her belly and uttered a sound of triumph when the little bump happened again. “It’s moving. Totally alive in there. You are amazing.” He looked up at Rayla then. 

“You just now figuring that out? I haven’t been doing my job then.” 

“There’s a baby in there.”

“Ya keep saying it like there hasn’t been one in there for the past 5 months. How long did you say humans carried these little things for?” 

“Nine months.” 

“Eight for us. You humans always have to make things harder don’t ya?” She muttered softly at him as he pressed on her belly gently in different places. “You playing games with it now?” 

“No.” He drew the vowel out slowly. “Can you play with something the size of...what did they say it was the size of now?” 

“A bit bigger than a large squash. And now i’m hungry.” 

“Anything in particular?” 

She gave him a hooded look and ran her tongue over her lip. 

“I have to go to meet Ezran.” He reminded her gently though he couldn’t deny his interest.

“Fine. Something...sweet.”

“Jelly tart?” 

“Too sweet. One of those rolls with the cinnamon and sticky cream. Two.” 

“Anything else your majesty?” 

“To stop having to run to pee every hour.” She grumbled and pushed him off of her to walk to the bathroom. 

“It’s pretty glamorous isn’t it?” 

“I will stab you with my swords.” She shot back from the door. “Food. Go.” 

“I obey, my love.” He sang at her before he darted out the door and retrieved her request before he placed a kiss to her lips and went to his meeting. 

He walked to his his step father’s old room and knocked. “Come in, Callum.” 

Ezran had grown in the past six years from boy to young man and all the while his kingdom and peace grew with him. 

“Are you still planning to go to Xadia next week?” His brother looked over papers on his desk with seal and quill in hands. He looked so much more like Harrow now with just little spots of their shared mother in his eyes or the curve of his mouth. His memories of her were fuzzy anymore though he tried to keep them tight to his breast and he wondered if she would have approved of his wife and for the thousandth time he concluded she would have loved Rayla.

“As ambassador it’s sort of our job isn’t it? Liaison and all that?” 

“Well.Yes but with her condition I wasn’t sure if you would risk it?” 

“Well it’s probably going to be better for her to be there for most of the pregnancy. They are elves after all and if she had the baby there at least she would have her people around her.”

“The trip wouldn’t be too hard?” 

Callum snorted and Ezran raised an eyebrow at his brother, “Have you seen her? She’s a ball of energy anymore. Being still and being Rayla don’t mix. I’m sure we’ll be fine with a small contingent of guards like always.”

“Claudia wants to go.” 

Callum took a few beats to process Ezran’s words, “What?” 

“I told her I would ask you.” 

“Why?” 

“Because she didn’t want to ask you herself?”

“No I mean why does she want to go?” 

“I dunno. Didn’t ask her.” 

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Could be. It sort of depends on if you think it’s a good idea. If you can trust her.”

Trust. A loaded word. “I’ll think about it.” 

“Okay. Just let me know a day or two before you leave.”

“I felt the baby move.” 

“Awesome. Do you think you are going to be a good dad?” 

“I’m going to try.” 

“Good.”

“Hey. What’s up with you and Anya?” 

Ezran’s quill on the page splintered as he jolted and looked up to his brother’s mischievous grin, “Shut up.” 

Callum laughed as he walked over and hugged his brother who now blushed red at his tease. “You know I do it cause I love you.” 

“Go away.” Ezran laughed and pushed Callum away from him. 

“Have a good time with those signatures.” He walked out of his brother’s study and thought about Claudia’s request and when he walked back to his rooms he asked Rayla.

“Do you want her to go?” She asked him then while she stretched her thighs on the floor. 

“I don’t know. I’m worried that she’s going to go back to doing Dark Magic or kill some creatures that don’t deserve it.” 

“Then tell her no.” 

“But she’s trying to repent.”

“Then tell her yes.” 

Callum sighed, “You aren’t helping.”

“I don’t care if she comes or not.”

“You don’t?”

“You’re my husband and there’s nothing to be jealous about anymore.”

“Why the sudden change?” 

“We’ve been talking a little.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” 

“Do you tell me everyone you talk to?” Rayla sighed. 

Callum sighed and looked up at the ceiling while she continued to stretch. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

XxOxX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took me a few days to write piece by piece and I think I'm happy with it. It's certainly adorable. 
> 
> I was going to put a separate part with spacers and ratings warnings for some of the spicier stuff I wanted to do but I am going to leave this story T rated with no smutty stuff. 
> 
> However if you want some nice smut I will write up the scene I wanted to put in this and post it as a separate work. Just let me know if you want it. I certainly want to write it.


	3. Third Trimester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rating is going to go up a smidge for a very vague scene within this chapter. It's still primarily rated T but I wanted to add a bit of fun.

XxOxX

After the third bathroom trip in what seemed to be only a few minutes Rayla glared down at the bump which housed her growing child. She could no longer see her feet. As far as she knew they didn’t exist except when they ached in time with her back and the struggle when she put footwear on and off. 

Almost as if in response she received a strong kick to her rib. “Cheeky thing.” She huffed then glanced upward to find a servant across the hall from where she stood at the doorway to her room. “What are you looking at then?” 

The servant quickly scurried away from her wrath and she began to walk through the castle. The training ground. That’s where she could just relax and not worry about Callum and his attentive anxious aura or Claudia’s gaze or the glare from other Moonshadow elves as they took in her state and the reason for it. 

Claudia ended up on the convoy to the Moonshadow elf capital and once they arrived she had hardly been seen since in the open but Rayla knew the corners from which she hid herself. 

She and Callum were ambassadors and as such received lavish accommodations though she tried to ignore the way the other elves whispered and looked her way. At this stage there was nothing to hide. None of her old clothes fit anymore and her once slim musculature of her abdomen devolved into this ball shaped mass. Her center of gravity changed with each day and the things she had been able to do in the stage before she was unable to now. Her tree travel ended up with a rolled ankle and a trip to the healer here in Xadia with a frantic Callum at her back. There was no way she wanted to have a repeat of such an embarrassment. So now her feet remained firmly on the ground though they did not remain idle as she still jogged at least a mile a day and practiced her sword forms as well as balance exercises to keep her body in shape. The head healer here Terlynna told her exercise would be good for her child as well as herself to prepare her for the arduous task of childbirth. At least Callum had embraced what she said with vigor not that she would ever be truly lazy regardless.

The training yard was much like the one in Katolis and much like the one she had trained on as she grew with Runaan. Her new shoes allowed her to feel much of the earth beneath her and she rolled her toes before she started up her jog. It was strange to feel all the weight of the child and fluids within her belly with each measured movement of her body. The support sash given to her by Terlynna helped immensely with the back pain as well. As the jog ended she went directly to the sword post and drew a practice blade or tried to when a younger male stopped her. “Shouldn’t you be in your rooms knitting or something?” 

“What does it matter to ya?” She fired back and pulled the wooden blade from the rack. 

“I don’t even know why they let you come back. You failed in killing the king and his son then you brought a human into Xadia to steal our magic. You should be locked up as a traitor, not married to their royalty. Or was that your plan all along?” 

“Why don’t ya mind your own business before ya get hurt.” Her hiss took the male aback and for a moment she thought her threat would leave her in peace but nothing ever went as planned. 

“Even that thing in your belly isn’t natural. It will probably die after birth anyway so I don’t know why you would go through all this trouble for it.” 

Rayla knew she didn’t have much in the way of experience when it came to mothers. She often had doubts about what sort of mother she would make but she couldn't’ stop her hand from it’s path with the wooden sword as it hit solid flesh with a satisfying crack. The sound of his pain as he fell back and hit the ground with a thud was like music to her ears as she stood over him with menace. “I gave ya a chance didn’t I? Then you had to say something about my baby. Listen here, boy. If you so much as look my way again while I’m here I will break so many bones you won’t be able to carry a weapon much less talk again. Do ya understand me?” 

The boy nodded and held his bloody nose as some other younger trainees hauled him up. 

“Anyone else have a problem with me or my baby?” When no one else answered, “Good. Let’s keep it that way then.” It wasn’t until later in the safety of her room and Callum’s arms she cried. 

The next day there were so many apologies from the Consul’s staff she thought she might vomit or thwack them upside the head too while she nearly had to chase Callum away from her. He actually wanted to go back to the boy who accosted her and throw him around with his power a bit. Though it would have made her happy she told him it would be a bad idea for a human to do such things to an elf with their peace so new still.

In the end he agreed grumpily and rubbed her back and feet properly as she lounged and gorged herself on Moonberries. 

It was in the garden where Claudia found her of all places. A moment of peace secluded in the trees of her homeland. “Hello, Rayla.” 

“Claudia.” Came the guarded reply. 

“I heard about the thing in the yard.” 

“It seems like everyone has. What do ya want?” Straight to the point there was no sense in making small talk as far as Rayla was concerned. 

“I just wanted to talk to you. Maybe get to know you a little bit since you married Callum and all.” 

“That was a role you expected to take, right?” Rayla didn’t bother to hide much of the bite of jealousy from her tone.

“I know you have a lot of really good reasons to be on your guard but please don’t do that.” Claudia came around to sit on the bench across from her. 

Rayla put hand atop her belly to comfort the suddenly active child within. “Do what?” 

“Attack me. It’s not fair and you know it. That stuff has been in the past for a long time now and I would rather not bring it up. Though if you want to know Callum had always been my friend and I knew he liked me but I also knew that we probably wouldn’t last as a couple. Not with his disdain for Dark Magic and I think you two are actually a really good match. You compliment each other way better than he and I could have. It was just a crush. Mostly one sided but I wouldn’t have minded if it hadn’t been. He’s got a thing for the unattainable I think.” 

Claudia looked so sincere that Rayla loosened up at little bit, “Well I also have other reasons ta not like you much. With the whole trying to kill me thing...quite a few times actually.” Rayla had been about to count on her hand but decided against it. There were too many. She would have to include toes too. 

“Yeah. I’m really sorry about all that too. I just feel so out of place in Katolis and here but that’s because there’s elves everywhere. Home doesn’t feel like home anymore, you know. I grew up there my whole life and I feel like it’s all gone now.” 

Strangely Rayla knew exactly what she meant, “Yeah. I’m back in Xadia but since I married Callum and ‘betrayed’ everyone I feel like everyone’s judging me. Especially with this little wee thing in me. They keep thinking it’s some kind of monster but I can tell it’s only got two legs and two arms and probably a head in there somewhere. But I can’t help but wonder if they’re right. What if it can’t live?” Why she confessed such things to the women in front of her she didn’t know but the way Claudia looked at her only made her feel more vulnerable.

“I didn’t know that.” She uttered quietly though her look now pensive as she offered Rayla a small smile, “I’m sure everything will be fine. Does it move a lot?” 

“Constantly especially while I’m trying to sleep. It likes it when I run and move sort of like i’m rocking it to sleep.”

“Is it moving now?” 

“A bit.” Rayla paused, “I suppose you want ta feel it then?”

Claudia looked guilty but put her hands up, “Well I do but I wasn’t going to ask you. That’s really personal and I don’t know if we could even be that personal anyway.” She had started to ramble a little after that when Rayla sighed. It was just like dealing with Callum. The elf reached over and sntached the wrist of the other girl in hand to place it atop her belly. 

It warmed her heart when she felt her child kick against Claudia's palm. Claudia jerked a little and looked in open mouthed shock at the place where her hand rested. There was a quiet wonder in bright eyes as it happened again and this time she smiled and Rayla heard a quiet giggle. “Holy cow. It kicks really hard. Do you know what it is? Well of course you don’t. It’s not here yet. Do you think you know what it is? What do you want?” The questions were rapid fire as Rayla released Claudia’s hand and the other woman sat back in anticipation of the answers. It reminded her a little of Callum.

“I haven't thought much about it. I just hope it’s healthy. Callum thinks it’s a boy. I’m not sure if that’s because men have an obsession with a carrying on the bloodline or something ridiculous.” 

“Yeah. It’s pretty dumb honestly. But I think you have a preference. You just don’t want to jinx it.” 

Rayla felt her child kick but didn’t answer the question, “What about you? Do ya have any men in mind?” 

Claudia gave a slow, sly smile, “Maybe.” 

Rayla leaned back to listen. Maybe Claudia wasn’t quiet so bad after all. 

$#$#$#

Callum sighed as he felt the steady thump of their child’s feet on his back. It amazed him how hard such a little thing could kick and from the even breaths on the nape of his neck he knew she slept deeply now even if his abuser didn’t. Callum managed to wiggle away from Rayla without her awakening and he silently congratulated himself even though he was sure she was just exhausted and sore from her continued punishment on her body. 

There was nothing he could say to make her slow down but she wouldn’t be Rayla if she did. 

He scooted down the bed until he lay face to rounded belly. The loose shirt she wore to bed had ridden up to expose round purple flesh and half of her belly button. He could see the bulge just under her skin and muscle where he rested. Or she. He would secretly call the baby ‘he’ until they knew for sure. Right now he lay on the bed where his mother positioned herself and each kick shifted the shirt a minute amount but he could see where her skin poked out and it fascinated him. One time when they lay in bed he watched as his son rolled from one side of Rayla’s belly to the other with fascinated horror and an exclamation to match. To Rayla it was business as usual and so she laughed at his utter shock of something actually being alive in there. Something alive that moved constantly from the way she talked about it. It would be so interested to be pregnant but he didn’t have any wish to be in her shoes. 

Elven pregnancies, he learned were shorter than human ones at thirty four- thirty six weeks where humans usually lasted longer. Maybe it was the less fingers but he had to hide from a projectile when she learned she might actually have to be pregnant longer than she thought with a half human child. Right now she was thirty two weeks along and he thought she looked better than she ever had. It was a testosterone thing but he didn’t care. 

“Hey.” He whispered to his child. “Could you take it easy on your mom and me? She’s pretty tired and grumpy and you have a crazy hard kick. I think I might actually have a bruise or something tomorrow. I bet you’ll be just like your mom. Kicking serious butt all the time or maybe like me because I can’t even lift a sword properly. Or you might not be like either of us but whatever you do just know we will always love you and be so proud of you. But for right now you should get some sleep. You have some more growing to do before we get to meet you for real.” 

“Who are ya talking to you loon?” Rayla mumbled sleepily from above as she shifted and sat up on her elbow to stare at him through bleary eyes. 

“Your child was kicking me in the back.”

“Welcome to my life. It’s always kicking me somewhere. Speaking of I think I need some help. I feel like a whale and I probably look like one too.” 

“You look beautiful.” His response was automatic, “Trust me.” He moved up and over her legs to help her sit then stand up.

“Yeah well you are the one who got us in this mess to begin with.” 

“It takes two you know.” 

“Shut it.” She meandered over to the door. 

“That’s the hallway.” He called out just before she turned the knob and he could hear her sigh of irritation as she turned and went to the other door. 

Callum smiled as he leaned over to his side of the bed and pulled out his sketchbook. Rayla trudged back to lay on her side and pulled the covers over her before she drifted back to sleep. 

It was a while before he went to bed. He just had to draw her again. Had to capture this moment forever onto paper though with his memory he would likely remember it for as long as he wanted. Soon he might not have the time to do much of anything from what the other older parents told them. Soon two would become three. 

$#$#$#

Rayla shifted on her knees uncomfortably, “Would you hurry up?” 

Callum shifted behind her, “I have a feeling you don’t want to do this.”

“Noooo. Ya don’t say? This is what the healer told me we should do to get this little beast out of me faster. It’s been thirty six weeks. I want ta be done already.” She whined. 

“I don’t think I want to do this if you don’t want it.” 

“Just do it already. I’ll be fine.” Even with the pillows bunched as a cocoon under her substantial belly her back was already sore. She shifted on hands. “Now.” 

“I’m...I’m not feeling it.” 

“Do ya need me ta serenade ya with a sweet melody and hold ya close before ya get into the mood then? I swear I ask my husband to lie with me and he acts as if it is a burden.” 

“I--.” He started then gave up. “You aren’t even ready.” For emphasis he stroked fingers through her warmth and she knew he was right. This would be painful and so close to delivery injury to her nethers was hardly a good idea. 

“I want to try this. I’ve done just about everything else.” And she had. She tried to walk and eat spicy foods, tried to bounce on a large spongy ball, but not the castor oil the healer recommended. She wanted to do this first. “Ya know how to prepare me. So do it.” 

Callum sighed, “It will be harder in this position. You’ll have to get on your side for me.” 

She complied and soon his mouth had her well and ready for whatever he wanted to do for her as he rolled her onto her knees again. It was still a snug fit even with preparation but he went so slow she growled with impatience and in return he gave her a swat on her backside. 

At first she felt as if everything was too deep. This position didn’t usually do much for her but it was the only one she could manage without too much trouble. Being flat on her back made her breathless and if she tried to sit astride she would have to do all the work and she was too heavy for that. They had tried on their sides a few times but they couldn’t get the angle right. 

Rayla’s arms wobbled with sudden weakness and she dropped to her forearms to wait Callum out. The movement arched her back and sudden on his next pass he brushed against something strange but good. 

He paused as he felt her reaction and passed over the same spot slowly and she reacted again with a short exhale. Callum gave a small noise of triumph and though the angle brought something in his back taut and sore he hit the same spot with slow regularity. She shifted and moaned softly as he sped up. Soon enough her cries grew needy and Callum’s brow moist with the effort of trying to keep his release in check as she shuddered and whined. It wasn’t enough. 

Though it messed with his rhythm he reached around to the front and found the other place he knew she loved and timed each thrust with a motion of his hand. 

There it was. Within a few more strokes he had her keen her release as he groaned and let himself be carried away with her until they were both sated and spent. 

“I hope that was enough.” 

“Me too.” Callum pulled back and grimaced as his back spasmed uncomfortably while he stood. “Not that I don’t really enjoy doing this together.” 

“Quiet, you.” Rayla sighed and shifted to lie on her side. “How am I so tired all the time?” 

Callum smiled and leaned over to kiss her, “It probably won’t get any better. At least that’s what they tell me.” 

“Comforting.” She grumbled. 

Several hours later in the dead of night Rayla stirred but didn’t understand why. Eyes open she surveyed the room and found no sound or strange shadow in the room. She felt the heat of Callum’s hand atop her belly and just as she started to drift off to sleep she felt a pain tighten in her belly. It rose slowly and peaked uncomfortably before it fell again to disappear. Now she was awake. It happened two more times in sporadic intervals before she decided to wake him, “Callum. Wake up.” 

When he only muttered and shifted sleepily she sighed, “Callum.” Louder now. “I think it’s time.” 

“Time?” The sleepy murmur sounded adorably confused until he shot up as she shifted to sit up herself. “Time? As in ‘the time’?” He scrambled out of bed and with very little grace he shot across the room to unlock the door and flung it open. 

He was halfway out the door, “Callum.” Rayla called out, “You might want to get some proper clothes on before we find the healer.” She felt far calmer than she ought to as another pain began. 

Callum scrambled back to her and hovered anxiously, “What can I do?” 

“Get clothes on. And find some for me too.” 

He did as he was bid while the pain passed and soon she had a proper dress thrown over her head and Callum had some semblance of proper clothing on as they made their way down to the healing ward, “Shouldn’t we go faster?”

“I don’t think it’s just going ta fall out of me, Callum. There’s some work to it. My work.” 

When they reached the hall the pains continued for a while but after the healer checked her over she had told the two expectant parents, “You’re child isn’t on the way just yet. These are practice contractions.” 

“Practice? They bloody well hurt ta be practice.”

“Labor is no easy thing. As with your weapons your body needs to train to be able to do its job.” 

“This is all your fault.” She huffed at Callum who merely sighed in disappointment.

“Well I think we should go back to our room and get some rest.” 

After a heated discussion between the two parties Rayla’s contractions had faded into the day and they trudged back to their room exhausted and discouraged. The healer had told them the baby was low and in position but was in no hurry to leave it’s current residence. 

He left her for the day in their rooms for her to rest with a kiss to her head near her horns and a rub to her back, “Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine. He’s just being stubborn. You rest and maybe today will be better.” 

Rayla nodded off to sleep after she had gone to the bathroom again. For the millionth time today.

It was three more nights in the past five days where they made their way down to the healer ward to be told there were only practice contractions. By the last they didn’t even bother to get dressed properly as they made their way down the halls. 

With little to no sign that her child would make an appearance any time soon Callum arranged for their departure to Katolis with Claudia in tow. A healer had offered to make the journey with them just in case they had need of one. 

Rayla, now a week overdue by her standards, sat in the carriage as now she felt too large to ride comfortably on horseback in a sullen mood. 

Claudia offered to sit with her a while on the road back to the new bridge built to cross from Xadia into the human kingdoms. 

“It can’t be that bad can it?” 

“What?” Rayla shifted as her back spasm and ached uncomfortably. The pain radiated around her sides and faded after she moved. 

“I mean at least you get to be more prepared for it. It gives you more time to just be the two of you. Because from now on it’s going to be the three of you. No more couple time.”

“We have had plenty of ‘couple time’. I just want to stop aching and be able to sleep and eat without having to pee every two minutes.” She paused and growled, “Stop. I need ta take a break.” She called out of the window and the two women felt the carriage stop. The door opened and Callum appeared to help Rayla down the step and watched as she trudged into the foliage to take care of things. 

“So you and Rayla are friends now?” 

“Maybe. I’m not really sure. We talk but I would call us more friendly acquaintances than friends. It’s hard to be the only girl in a group of guys.” 

“Yeah. I get that.” Callum agreed and spied Rayla on her way back. “Thanks for being there for her. I really appreciate it.” 

“We’re friends, aren’t we, Callum? At least I hope we still are.” 

Callum nodded as he helped Rayla back up who now winded settled into the carriage as the door closed and they started to move again. She sighed and leaned back as another shot of pain started at her back and rolled around to the front. 

“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” 

“No. Not at the moment, thank you.” Rayla sighed and rubbed at her belly. “There feels as if there’s a large fruit in between my thighs and I cannot move without looking foolish.” 

The pains continued with increased regularity and intensity but Rayla paid them little mind and contributed them to the less than perfectly comfortable carriage but Claudia kept time on each wince on Rayla’s face in time to notice a pattern. 

She was about to bring it up when Rayla’s expression changed and the sound of water colliding with wood filled the space as Claudia looked down at the mess of liquid on the floor and her shoes. Rayla froze as Claudia opened up the door and stuck her head out. “Callum! I think Rayla’s water just broke. ” 

XxOxX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here comes the labor! 
> 
> Sorry I was late. Work was hell this week and I didn't have the drive, energy or time to put what I wanted into this. I hope I did Claudia's characterization well but I still don't feel as if I did as well this chapter but I actually proofread it and went over it all in it's entirety this time. I don't usually go back over my chapters. 
> 
> Anyway. I work this weekend so you might not see another chapter until next week sometime but we have labor which I have gone through but I had a c-section so all my vaginal birth experience comes from other descriptions. I might make the labor it's own chapter but I don't know yet. 
> 
> Have a good weekend!


	4. Labor and Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the title says. Wish them luck!

XxOxX

The carriage lurched to a halt and Claudia’s foot slid unsteadily on the wet floor. A quick glance behind her and she could have snorted with the look of bewilderment on the elf’s face. 

Claudia brushed white locks behind her own ear as Callum stumbled off his horse and nearly collided with Claudia on her way out. 

He poked his head into the carriage and surveyed the liquid on the floor then assessed his wife, “Rayla. Are you okay?” 

She had to blink a couple times before she answered, “Does it look like I’m ‘okay’ husband? I’ve made a mess all over the floor and--oh there’s another one.” She grimaced and held her back while she took several deep breaths. 

“Okay. Well. This could have been timed a bit better with us being on the road and all.” He tried to sound flippant but it came out strained.

“I heard the commotion. Get in you fool boy so I can have a good look at her.” 

Callum scrambled up and tried to avoid the worst of the water on the floor while he situated himself awkwardly at her back. The moon elf healer possibly midwife also entered the small space. 

“This will hardly be the best area for a good once over and you will likely have very little in the way of modesty by the time this whole bit is done with so do as I say and I will make this as painless as possible.” 

“What are you going to do?” Callum eyed her hands suspiciously as she pulled out a flask of something on her person and gave her hands a good douse.

“That’s alcohol.” Rayla sniffed and sneezed at the strong odor. 

“It will do until we can find a better substitute. Now. Legs spread. Lean on your husband and bring your bottom down for me.” 

“I don’t even know yer name and ya expect me ta give ya all that?” 

“I’m Gellie. Now. Do as I say.” 

Rayla managed to get into a position which was uncomfortable but sufficient as the healer reached up her dress and further. Callums hand quickly became uncomfortable as she squeezed his fingers for dear life and uttered a low whine of pain as more of the healers arm disappeared. Callum was about to utter a word in some concern when she pulled back and Rayla relaxed her grip. “That bloody well hurt.” She hissed out.

“Three fingers. Mostly soft.” 

“What does that mean.” Callum rubbed Rayla’s shoulder and arm soothingly. 

“She’s a long way yet to go. A few hours at least.” 

“Hours?” Came the outraged reply. “What do ya mean hours? It hurts now.”

“That won’t get any better I’m afraid. You aren’t open enough for the babe to come through. Your body will take care of that. We should get moving unless you want to wait here for the appearance of the little one?” 

“So she’s not going to have it now then is she?” Callum wished he hadn’t spoken at all with the look of exasperation Gellie gave him. 

“Not likely.” 

“How unlikely? Give me a percentage.” 

“I can give no guarantees but I can tell you first time mothers often go the longest with the first baby. There is time to get somewhere safer than the road, warmer, and cleaner as well.”

“Let’s go then. I want to be home. In the bath like we talked about.” Rayla huffed out. 

“Katolis is too far. I can tell you that you will cross the border but you will likely have to stay at the fort close by.”

 

“My aunt Amaya is still stationed there. She helped my mom with this stuff.” Callum was pretty sure he remembered his aunt mentioning it when he told her about Rayla’s pregnancy. 

“We should go then.”

“We should send and arrow to Katolis. Tell Ezran about the baby.” Rayla looked back at him as she sat up. “And tell your Aunt she should be expecting visitors.” 

Callum reached up and rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile, “We don’t have any.” 

“What? What have I told ya about keeping at least one in a group with us?” 

“That we should but I was busy. I’ll go ahead and let them know.” 

Claudia piped up from outside, “Are you insane, Callum? Rayla’s in labor. You need to stay here. I’ll go ahead.” 

“Claudia.” Callum started.

“Look. Soon you are going to have to start trusting me again. I know it’s been a long time and everything with Soren and my dad but we’ve stopped the dark magic. It’s already taken its toll on my body. I want to help you guys.”

Rayla and Callum exchanged a long look and he sighed, “Go and come back.”

“Thanks.” 

“I’ll be out there. It’s a bit cramped here. Oh and we will get some towels to soak up the mess.” Gellie exited the carriage just as another contraction started up. 

Rayla’s hand clenched at the seat and she huffed and gave a low groan, “These hurt worse than the practice ones. It’s no’ fair.”

“Didn’t you feel them before?” He realized after he asked it might have sounded confrontational but if Rayla thought so she didn’t comment. 

“Well I had a bit of a back ache. I still do. It just started getting bad when my water’s came.” She gestured to the floor. “It’s just our luck. A week overdue and on the road. The timing could have been better.” She rubbed her belly fondly despite her irritation. 

“Well then we will just get to the border and cross it, then go from there. Perfect plan.” He opened the door. “Let’s move. We’ve got to get to the border to Xadia sooner rather than later.” 

The carriage lurched forward and Rayla had to put a hand out to stop from lurching with it while Callum sat across from her. One of their party brought some towels to the two of them to put on the floor. 

Though now that the healer had said the baby wouldn’t just drop out onto the floor and they had some time before the show would begin. Callum’s anxiety as well as Rayla’s had diminished but the nervous energy he exuded usually made her roll her eyes and smile. Now with his finger tapping his leg and said leg in a bounce with his eyes going from her to the carriage to wherever else she sighed, “Callum. You need to go outside.” 

“Why? What’s wrong?” Eyes instantly wide as he looked her over for any injury.

“Nothing but I think that if I you stay in here for much longer we both might lose our minds.” Another contraction pressed at her back and squeezed her belly as she breathed through it. “There will be some time yet before there is anything to be with me for. I want to get some rest if I can. This will likely take a while.” Rayla leaned over and placed a hand to his cheek before she kissed him sweetly. 

Callum looked guilty, “But--I want to be here.” 

“I know. And I want you to be here but this is not the most ideal place for you to hover. Ride next to the carriage if ya want. Or leave the window open.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Positive.” In truth she had her own anxiety and didn’t want Callum to see her fear yet with it being so early in the labor. The same thoughts from earlier in the pregnancy chose now to surface. Thoughts of being unworthy, of something being wrong with her child, or if things would change between them with this child. This wasn’t the place to address it and the labor would help her to distract herself. It was a good plan. 

Callum still looked apprehensive but exited the carriage after a brief stop while Rayla continued to breathe through the contractions which were growing slowly and steadily more intense but not more frequent. 

“Almost there, Rayla. Are you still okay?” 

“Yeah. Just fine. Not having some wee thing try to get out o’ somewhere far too small.” 

“The bridge is just ahead, okay?”

“Yeah.” 

She heard the pattern of hoofbeats and the sound of the wheel change as they started across the bridge back to the human kingdoms. The crossing was so much longer than it was to Xadia and by the time they reached the dirt road beyond she had started to shake a little. 

“Aunt Amaya.” The carriage stopped and she heard the sound of a few people dismounting. “Rayla’s here.” 

The door opened to reveal the general with a stern eye but warmed when her gaze settled on Rayla. 

“Are you well?”

Rayla nodded. In the past few years the she and the General had reached the level of a friendly relationship. Not quite the warmth of family but with the years of war and the death of her sister those prejudices were difficult to break. It had taken some time as well for Callum to teach Rayla sign language. It was a language she could understand more than speak with her four fingers some signs were impossible. Over time she had developed a type of shorthand for simple phrases her aunt in law taught her. “Hurts.”

Amaya chuckled soundlessly and offered a hand for her to take. When Rayla had managed to hobble her way out of the carriage with Callums’ help she surveyed her surroundings. 

The fort looked so much more welcoming than it used to with banners aloft and the absence of so many guards. Callum spoke behind her, “Do you have a room for her?” 

There was no reply from Amaya and Rayla couldn’t see them sign behind her. 

“Good. I’m glad we can count on Claudia. No. Stop. She was absolved of her crimes and the ones her father made were punished accordingly.”

There was silence again. 

“I trust her. At least with this. Do you have a midwife?” 

Rayla knew Callum’s vocalizations were for her benefit as they moved slowly up to the door to the fort. She felt another contraction build and clung to the two people at her sides while she sagged and let the pain run through her while she huffed short breaths until it passed. 

To her left someone put a lock of her hair behind her ear and she glanced over at Amaya who offered a small smile and released her to sign, “You remind me of my sister. She tried not to make much noise either. Everything will be fine.” 

Somehow the older woman’s words made some of the unease dissipate. “Thank you.” She said slowly and Callum squeezed her side in comfort as they continued up the stairs and into the fort. 

Eventually they made their way to a large room with a bed, chairs, a few tables and a decently sized bath along with a woman in a chair. 

As they entered a woman stood from one of the chairs, “Hello your highness’s I’m Emily, a midwife. I came as soon as I was sent for.” 

“You aren’t needed.” A voice from behind them called out. “She should be tended to by her own kind.”

“The child is half human. Do you have any idea if there are differences between a human and elven pregnancy? Or if the child will need things you have no knowledge of?”

“This isn’t a pissing contest. There will be a bairn exiting my body in what seems like a short while from now and I want all the help I can get with tha’. Okay?” Rayla put a stop to the impending argument before it could begin. She didn’t have the patience for it. 

“Yes, ma’am.” They intoned. 

“That’s my girl.” Callum kissed the side of her head. “Where to?” 

“There.” She gestured to the bed. 

“You will need to disrobe and put a birthing gown on unless you prefer to be naked.” The human Emily spoke up. 

“In a while. I’m starving and I need to pee and I hurt.” She whined and Callum sat next to her. 

“If you need anything at all send the guards for me. But I think you have all the help you need here.” 

Rayla and Callum nodded and were both enveloped in separate hugs before the General left them to the mercy of the healers. 

“How long has it been since your water broke?” 

“A few hours.” Gellie replied before Rayla could tell the human midwife herself.

“When was the last time she was checked?” 

“Just after the waters appeared. We do not check frequently after the water has broken. It leads to more childbed deaths and I will not allow you to check either for at least a few more hours. Her labor seems to be progressing well.”

“Good enough then.” The human woman approached the two of them now.

Callum extended his hand and gave Emily a handshake, “Is there any way the two of you could find us some food and drink? We didn’t have much on the road and I think it would be better for her to have something, right?” 

The two women couldn’t exit the room fast enough and as soon as the door closed they both relaxed. “Callum. I don’t think I can handle it if they are going to do nothing but bicker the whole time.” 

“I can send one of them away if you want.” 

Rayla sighed and laid her head on Callum’s shoulder while he rubbed at her upper arm. “No. I think it might be best if they both stay for now.”

“How are you feeling?” 

“One moment.” Rayla shifted as another contraction began its rise until it peaked a short time later and she relaxed, “I’m miserable. Can we be done with this?” 

“You heard your mother. You better get moving. You really don’t want to see her when she’s mad.” He directed his words down to her bump and used his free hand to give it a rub. “I’m terrified.” 

His confession didn’t surprise her but the fact that he voiced it did, “I am too.” She placed her hand atop his and fit her fingers in between the spaces there. 

“Better to be scared together then.” He took a deep breath and released it. “Let’s do this. How hard can it be. We took an egg almost to Xadia while being accosted by various individuals in my kingdom then had to take a baby dragon all the way to the Dragon Queen. This is nothing.” 

“Says the one who doesn’t have to push this thing out of a place that should be far to small for it.”

“Oh.” The word laced with dread. “It’s why you are tougher than me. I could never do it.” 

“No. You couldn’t.” She teased just as the door opened again and the two midwives brought several food and drink options and discussed the benefits of their choices to Rayla who didn’t particularly care she just needed to eat. 

“Would you want to walk around the room a while? It might help the babe get into position and speed along your labor.” Gellie suggested after they had eaten. 

Rayla and Callum shared a look, “While I’m contracting?” She couldn’t help the incredulity in her tone.

“We would be next to you as well as your husband though I can say it is rather unorthodox for a man to be in the birthing room.” Emily commented. 

“This man isn’t leaving so you can forget that. We do this together.” Callum declared in a tone which brooked no argument. “Do you want to walk?” Gentler now.

“Anything to help get this wee beastie out of me I’ll give a go.” Callum helped Rayla to stand and as she began to walk he followed a few paces behind her. Contractions came and went as she walked determined around the edge of the room with the midwives taking shifts in and out of the room. She leaned against the walls with each ascent and peak with Callum as he pressed the heel of his palm into her lower back. Emily showed him that trick when they first began their walk and Rayla seemed to think it made them hurt less and so he would do it for as long as he needed to. 

It had been a few hours since they had come to the makeshift birthing room and Rayla desperately needed to get some air especially with the contractions coming every three minutes. Coupled with the fact they lasted for at least a third of their frequency it made her miserable. It wasn’t quite enough to take her breath away but she was getting there. “I want to walk the hall for a few laps. Callum?” 

Callum took her arm in hand and they walked to the door. He crafted the symbol for Aspiro and let out a small breath to open the door. His self satisfied grin prompted a chuckle as they entered the deserted hall. Amaya must have ordered her guards to avoid this area. 

Rayla had just completed one circuit around the hall when the next contraction buckled her knees and Callum caught her as she braced palms on the wall and moaned against the pain. “It feels worse down under.” She managed to pant out after the contraction finished. He hurried her back to the room just as she announced, “I’m going ta be sick.” 

Luckily Gellie managed to bring a sick bowl just as she emptied whatever was left in her stomach with a choked off sound of despair. “Get her clothes off and get her where she wants to deliver.” The order was one that Callum had no objection to.

He helped Rayla toward the tub and let her take off as much of her clothing as she could before the next contraction and her moan of pain was almost too much for him to bear as he rubbed her back through it. He pulled the rest of her clothing off and she stood naked as the day she was born when the midwives returned. 

“The tub then? Good choice. We might need to warm the water a little.”

They had talked at length about the way she wanted to deliver and after she spoke to other women who were in her same situation or had been in it before they all prefered the tub and though Rayla still had a fear of deep running water she enjoyed a good soak in the tub. “Ya going ta help him get my fat arse in here?” She bit out and the two midwives had a good chuckle as they joined Callum to maneuver her into the tub after Callum warmed the water with a rune from the sun arcanum.

She let a moan of relief escape her when she sank into the warm water. “This is moon sent.” 

“Good. Now I get to climb in there with you while your man will stay at your back and hold your hand.” Gellie hitched up her skirt to her hip with short leggings underneath. Another contraction hit and they had to wait while Rayla breathed through it while she had death grip on Callum’s fingers. After the contraction finished Gellie gave orders for her to tilt hips up and spread thighs while she performed her check, “Excellent. Fully dilated and the child is working it’s way down well. Another few contractions and you should be able to start pushing.” 

“Thank the gods.” Callum and Rayla whispered gratefully. 

“Almost there.” He whispered into her ear before he kissed the top of her head and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb while the other rested on a bare shoulder while she leaned back into his chest where he sat on a chair behind her. 

“When we tell you to start pushing you will have to feel it here and bear down as if you were trying to move your bowels but you must feel it here.” Gellie pressed down on a the bottom part of her vaginal canal. “I will be able to tell you if you are doing it well.” 

Callum looked over from Rayla to the other midwife who set up a table with carefully placed instruments on a white cloth. She folded up towels and blankets as well and placed them nearby. “How long will she have to push?”

“Could be a few minutes or a few hours depending on how big the child is and how eager it is to come into the world and how well the mother does her job.”

“Five. At the most. You will listen to me and I won’t have any more of this foolishness ya ken?” She poked at her abdomen which definitely had changed shape even from a few hours ago. The kick she received in response choked out a laugh from her. 

It was a few minutes and at least three contractions later when she felt the unbearable urge to push. By that time her position changed to where she was now on her knees and faced the edge of the tub where she could cling fully body to Callum and bury her head into his chest while her hands grasped at his shoulders and neck as she sobbed and groaned in pain. 

Callum watched Gellie move behind her and downward. “Nearly there.” She encouraged gently . 

Rayla shouted something intelligible into his shirt and though he couldn’t make out the words he knew they were not in the least bit kind. 

“You have to push when the next pain comes, girl. Once the babe is born the worst is over.” 

“You can do this. All you have to do is breathe. Breathe and push, okay?” He mumbled into her hair near her ear and Rayla remembered a time years ago where she thought Callum was dying and she spoke similar words to him. Where she first had the inkling of deep care for a boy she had only known for a short while. A care that developed into a deep friendship and into love over time. This baby was proof of it. 

When the next contraction began it’s agony she gritted her teeth and tensed downward while her nails dug into cloth and flesh with a moan long vibrated into Callum’s skin while his arms wrapped around her held her upper half steady. 

“That’s it. Give me two more of those and this little one shall be here in no time at all.” 

Rayla panted wearily and looked up at Callum and he grinned down at her. “Did you hear that?” 

“I did. I have ears. I’m already so tired, Callum.” 

“It’s not just you. It’s me too. We help each other. You can do this. You have to.” The gentle encouragement chased away some of her annoyance at his part in this predicament she found herself in now. 

“Then you can get in here and do this for me.” 

Callum laughed and the rich sound danced in her ears while she laid her head back down onto his chest. He knew how to move so her horns didn’t catch him on the cheek or chin. Pain makes one learn quickly though Rayla tried to be conscious of them herself. 

When the next contraction hit she screamed into the cloth again while she bore down but this time the pain did not leave her when she stopped. It remained a constant stretched burn though she felt a little something give way this time. . 

“The head is born. Not much hair to speak of. You can look if you want.” 

“No.” She muttered. “I’ll look after the rest of it shows up.” 

“This next contraction I want you to relax your pushes. Little ones on my command. Pant instead of groan, yes? Do not give me a strong one. The child has to work it’s way free and turn a little.”

“Yes.” Rayla managed and felt so bone tired. 

When the next contraction surged up she did as the midwife said and panted harshly from turned head into the air as she felt things move down there that shouldn’t. “Pant. Pant. Good girl.” And suddenly the pressure let up and she felt such euphoric relief she would have collapsed if not for Callum’s embrace. 

The disturbance in the water behind them prompted her to turn around as the second midwife wrapped a stick armed creature in a towel and began to rub it vigorously. A strange flesh colored rope dangled from the child into the water. The cord. Callum thought absently though his focus was on the obscured bundle in the midwife’s arms. 

They didn’t dare breathe as they watched the midwives work. One of them brought a tube and Gellie put it into the still not breathing child’s mouth while she put the other side into hers and sucked in. The sound of thick mucus loud in the near silent room. 

The bundle gave a jerk and then a cough before the arms and legs properly pulled in as the child began to squall in earnest. The relief in the room almost something palpable as the midwife handed Rayla the new bundle with minor instruction on how to hold it properly. 

It was the most beautiful sight either of them had ever beheld, “Hello then, little one.” 

XxOxX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been through labor but had a c-section but I'm also an RN and have watched a ton of Call the Midwife so I've got this down. 
> 
> Also. Yes. I am cruel and I shall make you wait for the sex reveal of the baby. Now is your time to give it a guess. The only thing you get for it is imaginary internet points and the thrill of being right. I might have the next chapter done by the weekend but with our workload down a nurse it's going to be tough. So I need some good vibes to get motivated. See you soon Lovelies!
> 
> Also: We are at 5 chapters now. Woo!


	5. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a look into the first few days after childbirth with the wee little half elven bairn.

XxOxX

Callum could only stare at the little creature currently nestled in a loosely wrapped bundle in Rayla’s arms. He knelt down next to the tub on his knees and watched his...their child move awkwardly with little hands and feet as it fussed. 

It was almost unconscious for her to bounce the child gently in her arms though she had never held one before. The residual cries began to fade as she started to croon gently to the baby, “Now then, what is all this about? Am I really that bad?” 

Callum reached over with just the tips of his fingers and stroked a pale pink cheek. The newborn’s face turned towards his touch with mouth open and he jerked back in surprise. 

“Calm, young prince. It’s a reflex. When a new babe’s cheek is stroked it searches for a breast to suckle from. There are a few such reflexes we grow out of in time. This helps them to find food.” Emily spoke from his left as Gellie sat up on the edge of the tub. 

“All we have to do is wait for the afterbirth.” 

“Afterbirth?” Rayla looked up from her study of the child’s face to the midwife in confusion, “Yeah. I almost forgot.” 

“You aren’t done yet but this should be easier. Putting the child to breast should speed the process. It will make you contract a little to ease it’s way.” 

“How?” She looked back at Callum beseeching who shrugged in reply.

“I don’t have breasts. This is entirely not my territory.” He opted to place his finger in the tiny palm and watched as fingers curled over it and he couldn’t help the bubbled warmth as it exploded in his chest. 

“Here.” Gellie waded over to where Rayla sat with the soaked towel and babe wrapped in arms. “Unwrap the babe and place this over the two of you. Your body heat will keep the both of you warm enough.” 

Rayla, with Callum’s help, unwrapped the towel from the baby and jostled it which caused the baby to cry again. When the child was fully unwrapped Emily moved over with a clip and two hands as she placed it along the child’s cord near the base. With a sharp pair of scissors the cord cut easily and Rayla looked below with a bright smile, “Looks like you were wrong.” Rayla couldn't seem to stop stroking their daughter's skin either in soft reverence.

“A girl.” He hummed. “As beautiful as her mother.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and Gellie maneuvered the towel over their fussed daughter. 

“Congratulations.” She leaned in and used her hands to demonstrate in air, “This will take practice but place a hand on the back of her head and I will hold her up. Take your breast in the other hand and apply pressure to flatten your nipple then brush it along the cheek as your husband did. Do not lean in. When the child opens her mouth and searches you will need to brush the child’s nose and lips and when she opens wide bring her down and direct your breast to the top of her mouth. Ready?” 

Callum watched as Rayla managed to do as the midwife ordered and directed then with a few unlatches and adjustments on depth and technique their daughter nursed happily at pale purple flesh. Her little jaw moved as she pulled deeply and Rayla looked down with a sense of strong peace. Her skin was lighter than Rayla’s. More pink than purple but still small and perfect. 

She brought her now free hand up from where it now rested as her other arm crooked where her daughter’s head rested and placed it in her hand as Callum had. 

Alarm made her heart race as she stared at the small appendage. “Somethings wrong with her hand.” 

Callum was quick to intervene before the midwives could come over and splayed his hand out close to where she held their daughters, “Nothing’s wrong. See. Does it look familiar?” 

Rayla stared at his hand then her daughters and realized with some embarrassment, “Ah.” 

“It’s terrible right? Pinkoes. Your worst nightmare.” He joked and she glared at him. “What’s this on her head. Does this look right?” Now Callum worried as he brushed his fingers gently over their daughter’s head. Two darker raised spots on the top of her head through sparse light hair made him pause. 

It was Rayla’s turn to roll her eyes. “Don’t they look familiar?” She pointed a free finger upward and nodded her head in emphasis. 

Callum’s eyes followed the line up and found curved horns, “Those are horns?” 

“Horn buds, yes. Did ya think we came out all pointed like this? What terrible time our mothers would have getting us out. Think those are dangerous to your eyes. It’s tender flesh down there.” Rayla winced a little as she felt a contraction begin. 

“Speaking of tender flesh--” Emily began and they both looked over to her, “You will need to rest for a few days. Things will be quite tender for some time. Sitting on hard surfaces will be rather uncomfortable and you will bleed for up to six weeks as your body heals. This mixture will soothe the tender flesh of your nethers if you apply it to your napkins and things will being to feel better within a week. You are not to engage in any type of intercourse for at least six weeks. I cannot tell you the number of impatient husbands who cause further injury to new mothers by not listening to me. Infection namely and pain. You have an open wound in your womb and it will take time to heal. You may feel contractions in the next week as things go back to normal. Feed every two hours through the night until the next appointment with the midwife to weigh.”

“You didn’t weigh her.” Callum chimed in. 

“Not yet. It is important to get the first feed in before the excitement of birth wears off. There will be time to perform checks as long as the child seems to be in no danger.”

“She’s feeding well. Do you feel it?” 

“A little. It’s strange.” Rayla looked back down at her daughter pressed to her skin. “Horns and five fingers. What a perfect little mix ya are.” She winced again as another contraction came on but these were so much better than the ones before. It was then she felt something sort of strange within. 

“There we go.” Gellie tugged gently on the remainder of the cord, “Give a little push now. Excellent.” Rayla felt something very strange come away and out of still abused parts and she pulled the afterbirth from cloudy water. 

Callum recoiled in horror from the huge blue and red glob in her hands with vessels in her hands. It was larger than her hands, “What in the gods names is that thing?” 

“That.” She held it up further before she started to make her way out of the tub. “Was the organ which grew and kept the tiny child in her arms alive. The body grows an entire organ in the first part to aid in nourishing the child. It is why women are so exhausted in the beginning.” Gellie stepped out and placed the afterbirth in a clean container. “How would you like it then, girl?” 

“Like what?” Rayla stroked lazily at any part of pinkish flesh she could reach as she gazed utterly in love with her daughter. 

“The afterbirth. How shall I prepare it for you to consume?” 

“What?” Callum barked then felt a little ill. “She’s going to eat that?” 

Gellie rolled her eyes, “You humans are so strange. Have you never seen an animal in the wild or even in the farm consume their afterbirth? It has good nutrition in it. Helps with energy and with milk coming in.” 

“I could use some energy though right now I feel as if I could run across Xadia with no more effort than a walk across the room.”

“That will fade. So. With eggs? Cooked? Dried? Fried? Baked?” 

Rayla looked back at Callum rather wickedly, “Can ya dry some of it and give me about half with some eggs then? And a good portion of moonberry juice.”

“Good.” 

Callum’s eyes widened as the urge to vomit rolled through him again and he decided he would not look at Gellie as she pulled out a large knife. Instead he filled his vision with his entire world in the tub. 

He wanted to hold her. He wanted to feel her little body safe in his arms more than he wanted to breathe. This was the little formless creature which he would play with from time to time. Where he would tap at the flesh and it...she…would tap back. Now she had a face and hair and fingers and toes. Ten of those too from what he could see.. She was so tiny. It was hard to see with the newness of her how her fine features were. If she had Rayla’s nose or cheeks, or his eyes as she had yet to open the still scrunched lids.

His palm encompassed her head as he stroked down the softness and the marvel of how the dark spots felt hard and smooth though nearly flush with her skull. Perhaps the sparse hair looked white in the light but he couldn’t be sure. All he could be sure of was the steady, though now not quite as strong way her jaw worked at the breast.

“You are magnificent. The most wonderful woman on the earth. How is it you can be so perfect at so many things? I don’t think I could love you any more than I do now. I...I…” He stopped his ramble while her purple gaze met his and he didn’t have to speak for her to know everything and she to him as well. All the pain and discomfort and the months of worry and wait had come to a head and it was a marvelous one. 

“When the child comes off your breast we will help you get out of the tub. The water will soon turn cold.” 

“Do I have ta move? I don’t think it will end well.” 

“It’s either that or stay in with the blood and other substances within the water. A cesspool of infection one might say.” 

“Fair enough.” Came the reply. 

Callum didn’t just stroke whatever soft skin he could reach on their daughter. He also used his free hand to rub his palm and fingers lightly over Rayla’s exposed shoulders and arms in a soothing manner. “How are you feeling now?” 

“Like I did not just push this out of a space far smaller than she is. Much better. Better than I have in months honestly.” It was ernest and she smiled at Callum as their child’s jaw slackened though still held on to her meal with light motions. 

“I think she looks like you.” Callum whispered. 

“Those fingers have something of you ta them but it’s hard ta tell. Everything is a bit mashed together.” 

Soon enough their newborn relaxed and pulled fully away from her meal and Rayla was won’t to move from her seat. She was sure her muscles would not thank her for it after being so still for so long but she could feel her energy start to flag and the now murky water continue to slowly pinken with blood and other things. 

Gellie had left the room some time ago with the afterbirth and Rayla was sure she was on her way to bring it back after she had prepared it. “I’m ready.” 

“Good. Let me take the little one and hand her to da now so I can help you to bed.” 

Rayla couldn’t help the instinctive reaction as her arms tightened around the bundle in her arms. “Why?” 

“It will be hard enough for you to rise on your own and have to hold something so slippery as well.” Emily leaned in, “Your husband’s been gazing at her like she’s the sun in the sky as well. Might give him a bit of time to meet her as well while we clean you up and get you settled into bed.” She seemed ernest and Rayla relented. 

Emily lifted the wet newborn from Rayla’s arms and at first she started to fuss as Emily lay her down on a flat long table with a towel to dry her. It was little work to move her to the side while her parents watched. Callum stood and came over to scrutinize her movements as their daughter began to fuss in earnest being moved around. She used a strange contraption and wrapped her up in a towel with loops on the end before she hung those from a single metal hook and lifted bundle and all. She seemed to make a note of the notch and set her back down. 

He had taken classes on how to change a diaper as well as feeding and basic care the same as Rayla and watched the midwife fasten a cloth diaper to tiny hips as little fists shook in the air and long legs stretched awkwardly. He observed her as she started to swaddle the baby and took in each movement into his easy memory before she turned with a freshly wrapped newborn in green blanket and suddenly he felt nervous. Sweat pooled on his brow as she came closer. “Now dad. Just like mum. She’s all bundled up and secure now.” 

Callum had no choice despite his new fear and put his arms up in what he thought was a good cradle. When she was placed in his arms he expected her to be heavier maybe. More solid. Instead she felt light and so very breakable. One hand on her bottom and he rested her head in the crook of his arm with the other hand to make doubly sure he wouldn’t mess up. 

Once the whole thing was over he suddenly felt embarrassed at his fear and instead his heart raced with another emotion. This was his daughter. A piece of him and Rayla. The most important people in his life aside from Ezran and Amaya. He looked up with wide, bright eyes at Rayla who shared his expression and his vision blurred a bit while her eyes welled with tears as well. “You look so happy, Callum.”

“So do you.” He looked down at the baby. “And so do you, little one. Belly full and snuggled up warm with dad. Woah. Dad. I’m a dad.” 

“Don’t faint now. Your wife would not thank you for it.” 

“Yeah. I think I’m going to sit down.” Callum walked gingerly over to the chair next to the bed and watched Emily help Rayla to stand. Rayla groaned with the effort under exhausted, stiff legs as she shook while she lifted one leg and the other with several groans of discomfort. They made slow progress to the bed and a wince one she had sat down on the soft mattress. Naked and wet with more than just water he couldn’t have thought she looked prettier though he knew better than to tell her just yet.

Instead he stole glances at soft cheeks and long lashes and shifted the weight of her around as best he could while Rayla continued to move around and dress. He took in the instructions on how to apply the cream, to use the syringe of water to wash her nethers with instead of the paper, and to take it easy for a few weeks, but make sure to walk often to help with fever and blood clots. 

“Any visitors I should send in?” She finished after Rayla had dressed in a loose gown and laid back in the bed with her back propped up in a sitting position. “The General or your other friend? They asked after you during your labor.” 

Before Rayla could speak, “No. Not today. We just want to be left alone for now. It’s almost night isn’t it?” Callum looked out the window for the first time in hours and it was well into sunset. “They can wait. Rayla’s exhausted and we need some time to bond with her before we have to share her with the rest of the world.” 

Rayla stared at him in surprise. “Are ya sure? I wouldn’t mind a quick visit.” 

“I’m sure. Besides, Gellie should be back with your after birth meal soon and I don’t think anyone would want to see you eat that.” 

“You have a point there.” She agreed, “Now give me the baby back.” 

Callum grinned and stood gingerly before he passed over the wrapped bundle which shifted and sighed before she settled down in Rayla’s arms. “She really is perfect.” 

“Of course she is. We made her. How could she not be? Our daughter. I wonder if she’ll have full sized horns.” 

“Could she not?” 

“I don’t know. There hasn’t been a half elven babe in ages. Since before the Breach was formed. There’s books on it of course but they are few in number from what the other healers told me. What are ya doing?” 

“Getting into bed with you.” Callum walked to the other side of the larger bed and crawled up. Rayla hissed when the side of the bed dipped and Callum froze, “What is it?” 

“Emily says I tore a bit. Nothing to need stitches but enough to hurt. It’s just a little tender.” She assured him. “Come here. I’ll miss your warm human body.” 

Callum moved with more care as he settled down next to Rayla on the bed. “Now we can share better.” 

“Indeed we can.” Rayla adjusted their daughter across their laps as Callum put a hand on the bundle.

“So names. I had a whole list of them in my head but none of them sound right anymore. Elizabeth, Hailie, Amilia, Luna.” 

“I already told ya no to those anyway. Luna. Ya fool human.” 

“Do you have any ideas then? Cause she needs a name.” 

“She doesn’t have to have one right now. It won’t hurt her to be nameless for the first day of her life. Better than than to give her one without meaning.”

“You said before names were important to Elves. Way more than to humans.” 

“Yes. So we can wait. Maybe it will come to us in a dream.” In the low light from the torches upon twilight their little girl stirred and opened her eyes to the world for the first time. Bright newborn blue regarded them with surprisingly little emotion compared to her parents who both could not help the burst of adoration at first sight. Rayla picked her back up then and they both had a good look at each other, “Ryna?” A pause, “No.” Then with suprise, “Her eyes are blue.” 

“Human babies have blue eyes usually if they are lighter skinned. Do elves not?” 

“Sometimes. Maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t seen many babies.” Dread pulsed through her joy, “How am I supposed to do this? I’ve never even held a baby before. How are we going to keep her alive?” 

Callum placed a finger over lips about to part again, “Shhhhhhhh. Everything will be fine. We have a lot of help with this stuff. For now how about we just rest.” 

Rayla nodded and yawned suddenly exhausted when the door opened again and a strange odor flowed through the open door. “Dinner is here. For her. Not you.” Gellie walked in bearing a tray of plates some steaming and some not with glasses of what looked like Moonberry juice. “Give the newling back to her father and eat up. I’m drying the rest and will crush it after and place it in a tin for you to mix in with food. It should be tasteless. This...will not be.” 

Callum lifted the baby greedily and placed the bundle across his chest while the smell sort of made his stomach roll as the tray placed over her lap. “Thanks. I suppose.” 

“You are welcome. Now da, listen here. This is for pain. No more than a tablespoon every four hours. She should need it more in the next week or so then less. If there is any trouble with fever you call right away. Everything looks good for now and the human and I will be nearby until you leave so just fetch us if you need anything. Baby will likely be tired for the next day or so but rouse her to feed every few hours until your milk comes in. Right now it’s colostrum which will help her for now. Put her skin on yours often as well to help your milk. This dinner should help as well. Any questions?” 

“No. I think we will be alright until morning.” 

“Excellent. In the morning then.” Gellie exited quietly while Rayla eyed the meal in front of her with a fair amount of distaste but with some prompting from Callum she took a bite of the off colored bowl of eggs and placenta. Her face twisted in a scowl but she continued to shove food in her mouth and swallow as quickly as she could without tasting the vile concoction.

“This is worse than your cooking.” 

“Hey. My cooking isn’t that bad.” He pouted. 

“It is.” Another mouthful with little chew and preamble and she managed to finish off the plate though not without some nausea. She nearly knocked over the moonberry juice in her hurry to wash the taste of her first meal as a mother out of her mouth and sighed as she pushed the tray away. 

“Let me get it.” Callum handed the baby back and lifted the tray to place it on the floor of his side of the bed. 

Rayla opened up her dress over a stomach still swollen but no longer round as she unwrapped the bundle and placed the pale skinned newborn against her skin and covered them both with a blanket. “I love you.” She gazed with blurred eyes at Callum as she blinked a few times then closed her eyes and did not open them again while her breathing began to even out. Both arms rested atop the baby in two places to keep her still on her chest. Callum watched over the two of them for three hours until he roused Rayla to rouse their daughter and place her onto a breast with some fussing but ultimately she managed to make it work. 

Callum stood and brought over a larger basket on taller legs to place it next to him on the bed. When Rayla’s eyes drifted shut and head lolled with exhaustion he took the baby from her and checked the cloth diaper for any soilage. Finding none he wrapped her up the way he watched the midwife and set her into the basket. They were both too tired to make sure they did not harm her while they slept. 

With morning brought more exhaustion and a better look at their daughter, “She has your nose.” Rayla commented with a soft tap to the appendage in question. 

“Your ears. I wasn’t sure about it last night with things being a little squished but they definitely have a point to them.” 

The newborn in question unwrapped from her blanket and set in between Callum’s spread legs and dressed in a utilitarian outfit with a single opening on the bottom to assist in diaper changing. She was awake though very unengaged in everything with eyes which stared ahead as she twitched and moved awkward limbs unhindered by blanket or womb. Her head, now a bit rounder sported those two dark spots and what Callum knew now was rather light colored sparse hair on her head. 

“Do you think her eyes will change?” 

“They could.” Callum shrugged as he placed his finger in her open palm and watched as she tightened her hand into a fist on instinct. 

“Five fingers. Was it the extra pinko that too ya another week to grow?” 

“It was fine. Everything worked out.” 

They were about to lie back when a knock reverberated through the door. “Open up in the name of your king.”

Callum, with a glance at Rayla to make sure she was covered up picked up their daughter and handed her to Rayla with a soft blanket to cover them both before he scooted off the bed and hurried to the door. With a sigh he opened it to find Ezran with a wide grin and excited eyes. “Hey, Callum.”

“When did you get here?” 

“Last night.”

“How?” 

“Claudia sent word. So here I am! The midwife came out to tell us we weren’t to go in tonight so I waited though I really really wanted to see my new---.” He gestured for Callum to finish. 

“Niece.” A sigh though he couldn’t help but smile at his brother’s exuberance. “It’s a girl.”

He pumped a fist into the air, “Yes! I totally won the bet. I can’t wait to rub it in Aanya’s face.” He puffed his chest happily and Callum could almost see him vibrate with pent up excitement. 

“Good to know.”

“Are you going to let me in?”

“Callum! Let our little brother in.” Rayla called from behind him and he pushed the door open the rest of the way. He would have told Ezran to leave if Rayla had wanted it though he really wanted to show off his new daughter to his second...now third favorite person in his world.

Ezran darted, still young, across the room and came to a halt at the bed where Rayla now had their baby wrapped in a less than neat fashion with little face visible and the sound which came from Ezran was nearly otherworldly. 

“She’s so cute.” He half squealed, “Look at her face and the cheeks and are her ears pointed?” He leaned in and Rayla laughed but pulled the baby away a little, “What’s her name?” 

“Ummm. Well. We’re still working on that.” 

“She has to have a name, Callum.” 

“I know that. We just need the right one.”

 

“You can name her after mom if you want. I know you’ve thought about it.”

Callum had but he waved Ezran off. “Nah. She needs her own name.” 

“Well whatever her name will be she’s so cute it won’t matter. What’s those spots on her head? Are they horns?” 

“Look at him. He’s smarter than you were.” 

“Yeah well check this out.” Callum, now sitting by Rayla’s feet pulled on the blanket to expose thin arms and hands.

“Five fingers. She’s like the perfect mix of the two of you. Can I hold her? Please? I need to hold her. She’s going to be so spoiled by her uncle Ez. Aren’t you?” 

“Sit down.” Callum ordered and Ezran dashed over to find a chair and carried it over without tripping over his own feet. He waited with patient enthusiasm as Callum lifted the baby from Rayla and with instruction on how to hold his arms he placed her into his brother’s embrace. The first time she had been held by anyone besides her parents and the midwife. 

Both new parents were anxious at the idea and watched every movement of both Ezran and the baby though it was adorable the way he talked quietly to her with a smile. It was something Callum didn’t know he would enjoy so much to watch his brother and his child bond. 

After some talk between the three of them over how their ambassadorial duties went and the tale of their on the road start to labor and how things in Katolis were going. Some needling from Rayla about how Aanya was doing much to Ezran’s embarrassment. 

About an hour into the easy visit the baby began to fuss and put her hand to her mouth. 

“It looks like she’s hungry.” Callum commented.

“I’ll go and come back later. I can’t wait to snuggle you some more, no I can’t.” He talked in that high pitched baby voice that usually grated on the nerves but Callum took her back. Ezran pulled Rayla into an embrace with a quick word of love and encouragement before Callum handed their little one to her and hugged his brother he hadn't seen in months before he led him over to the door, “Let me know when you are ready for more visitors. Claudia and Amaya are both chomping at the bit to know things too.” 

“Will do.” 

Rayla had some trouble this time with positioning and latching their daughter on but managed to get things moving and after another nap they asked for Amaya to come. 

The look of adoration on his aunt’s scarred face warmed Callum the same as Ezran’s had and she held thier daughter expertly with joyful congratulations and hugs before she left as well. 

Claudia made a sound similar to Ezran as she gushed over the new baby. 

“At least we know it’s not some kind of mutant. Soran will be happy to know.” 

“Soren?” Callum gave her an odd look but Rayla grinned knowingly. 

“That Sunfire elf that always kicks his ass? I knew it. Has he beaten her yet?” 

“No.”

 

“Wait.” Callum thought about it for a minute. There’ weren’t that many Sunfire elves in Katolis, “Zaleria? I didn’t know he liked her.” 

“To be fair you haven’t been paying much attention to us, but that’s okay. You’ve been busy.”

“Your da is rolling in his grave. Did he ask her ta marry him then?” 

“Not yet. He’s trying to beat her before he asks her but honestly that will never happen. It’s one of the reasons he’s so totally in over his head about her.”

“She’s so quiet.” Callum commented still confused about the whole romance which happened under his nose/

“Stranger things have happened. Stranger pairings.” She looked pointedly at him. “I never would have thought you were going to go for anyone of Rayla’s personality. No offense.” She added quickly while she adjusted the baby in her arms. 

“None taken. I know I can be a bit abrasive. It’s part of my charm.” 

Callum looked with wonder at the friendship the two women seemed to have developed and it was one he never would have thought possible. Maybe it would be a good thing. She needed more female friends anyway. 

With Rayla’s recovery and bleeding they waited a few more days before the decided to back up to go back home. She took the medication for pain and applied the salve and the midwives came and massaged her sore belly a few times a day while they waited for her milk to come in. It was a day of tears on Rayla’s part on day three when all the baby did was scream and she thought she had failed her daughter and wanted to give her a formula of goats milk instead of hearing her cry. Her diapers continued and it was a sticky business to clean off the first stool as it came and her wet diapers pleased the midwives. Callum took over with their unnamed baby and walked her in the hall and around the room after each feed, changed the diapers and listened to the squall with a twisted belly of anxiety. 

On the fourth day Rayla awoke to two throbbing, tight, lumpy, leaking breasts and couldn’t get the baby on fast enough for the engorgement. It eased them both though once she started to nurse on one side, the other side let down as well and soaked her shirt, the blanket and the baby’s blanket as well. It was easy enough to clean but Rayla’s embarrassment was less so. Callum had to assure her through tears she was fine. It was nothing to worry about and he loved her no matter what leaked out of her. 

Emily brought her a sort of strange suction cup with a reservoir to place over her the breast she wasn’t feeding from for the next feeds and Rayla began to collect milk to store in the cold. Breastmilk had a variety of uses she assured them and saving it was better than wasting the precious fluid. 

Claudia brought them a wrap made in an elven fashion she purchased from Xadia and showed Rayla how to wrap the long cloth around her body and made a pouch for their daughter to rest in on her chest. 

With hugs to Amaya and more luggage going than when they came Ezran, Claudia and several of the the guard awaited them. “I wouldn’t ride if I was you, girl.” Gellie told her just before they made their way out. 

“I’ll be fine.” 

Rayla managed to sit on the horse for a total of one minute, unmoving, before she had to be assisted off with pained noises. “I was not fine. I’m riding in the carriage.” With a strange waddle she managed to lift her body into the carriage where Claudia joined her. A pained noise escaped her as she sat down on the modestly cushioned seat while she held a hand over her wrapped infant. 

The ride was uneventful though they kept the windows open and everyone chattered happily through the trip. It was easy to go back to when they were on the road those few years ago. In all of her wildest dreams she couldn’t have imagined this is where her life would have ended up. A lifetime ago she stood in front of Runnan with their Moonshadow elf brethren with enchanted ribbon round her wrists to slaughter the boy who would become a fine king and a wonderful brother to her. She wonders less of late how things would have ended up had she slaughtered the human who spotted her. How they could have extinguished such a vibrant soul as Ezran is and was? And it would have been for nothing. Not when the Dragon Prince still lived. A soul for a soul. 

She looked down again at her sleeping daughter. It wasn’t an easy peace since Zym had returned to his mother but it was a reprieve from the death and destruction of both their peoples. There were still those who certainly hated elves and visa versa and many who would not see this child as a bridge between them. Royal or not but they would cross those bridges as they came. More humans and elves were beginning to start anew and forge ahead. Even Soran who though a good person at heart had many voices whisper to him and not all were kind. 

Ezran chattered away to whoever would listen and Callum checked back frequently with Rayla and their daughter. Each look of adoration made her heart swell all the greater with love. How could there be so much of it in one person? She thought her heart full with Callum and her found family here but they both began to learn of the bottomless well it truly was. 

Katolis came into view and they entered the city with as much fanfare as usual though now people looked in the carriage and took in the wrapped bundle in arm and the whispers began with some smiles and some less than sweet looks at her daughter. 

Callum sat tense on his horse while they rode through almost as if he expected something to happen and though it hadn’t he still couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes at his back. 

He helped Rayla out of the carriage as her gait hadn’t yet returned to normal and she passed the baby to him to carry into the castle. As the days went on the wrinkles continued to smooth out and he found her to look more and more like her mother with each day that passed. Eyes opened out of the sun light and he took in the newborn blue eyes as they stared up at him. “Hey there, little one. It’s a brand new day and you get to see your home. Your mother had a nursery set up just for you.” He spoke quietly to her as they walked. 

“You better not be plotting against me now.” Rayla warned from behind next to Claudia. 

“You guys have to name her. There’s like a deadline now. She’s almost a week old. My advisors are going to start badgering me about alliances and peace and the naming announcement ceremony so you better start thinking of something.” Ezran trotted up to Callum and he looked over at the young king. He couldn’t stop wondering if Ezran would ever stop growing. He was nearly as tall as Harrow was and he wasn’t done yet.

“Yes your majesty.” Callum made a show of bowing and Ezran snorted a laugh then sighed, “There’s one of them now. I’ll see you guys later.” Ezran darted off a second hallway and Claudia also took her leave and they opened the door to their quarters with little preamble. 

Everything was just as they left it aside from the new furniture they were sure was Ezran’s doing. A sort of side crib sat along Rayla’s side of the bed small enough for it to not get in the way, a table to change diapers, several drawers and blankets stacked atop things with outfits galore. 

“Finally home.” Rayla hummed, “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.” 

“We went way long than this before without our own beds.” 

“We were younger then.” 

“We aren’t that much older now.”

“Says the person who did not push a tiny person out of their nethers.” 

“Fair enough. Speaking of a tiny person I think she’s going to be hungry soon.” Callum noticed the awake newborn with a bit of her fist in mouth as she sucked on it. “I’ll get her a change and then hand her over.”

“I was just about ta suggest that myself. My breasts feel like they are going ta explode soon.”

“I’m hurrying.” Callum took her over to the padded table and made quick work of the soiled cloth as she started to fuss with being unwrapped. “Yes I know it’s terrible to be naked.” Callum crooned as he snapped a fresh diaper in place and wrapped her back up to hand to his wife. 

As soon as Rayla, with some difficulty, had baby firmly attached to breast and happily feeding she caught Callum’s attention, “Ezran’s right though I don’t much like a spectacle of her birth she needs a name.”

“I’ve been trying to think of one.” 

“I think I might have one.” 

He brightened, “Tell me.” 

$#$#$#$#

Ezran looked over the crowd of nobility gathered in the hall down the steps from his perch with the royalty of the other human kingdoms and some high ranking elven nobility as well. He peeked back as his sister and brother with a small smile as they held their new babe dressed in white. The pinkish skin still present though darkened a little with pale hair and dark spots where horns were to be were the only thing he could see aside from the Archmage robes Callum wore and the complicated wrapped shirt and pants Rayla had on. “We come here today to celebrate the birth of what I believe is the first half elven half human child in longer than any can remember. A symbol of what may happen when the two work together in harmony. What peace can achieve with new life. It is customary to have a naming day seven days after the birth to allow the parents to recover and renew and to make sure the child is healthy. With horns, hair, and ears from her mother and five fingers and bright eyes from her father I present to you--.” Ezran allowed the two of them to come forward and in unison, “Saraya, Princess of Katolis.” 

Aanya was the first to begin to clap as the rest followed suit while little Saraya slumbered peacefully oblivious to the excitement around her.  
XxOxX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I haven't had to push a kid out. Mine was removed like a tumor and that's a whole nother kind of recovery. It sucks. But I do know the gist of the vaginal birth recovery and I'm almost positive I had it spot on. I thought I would add something a little different with elves and afterbirth for fun as most mammals do eat theirs after they have their offspring. It can help with energy and milk production I've heard. 
> 
> There is a little bit of my own struggle built in with milk production. I had a bad experience around day 2 where my son just wouldn't stop crying so I thought he was hungry as my milk hadn't come in. My husband fed him formula but that didn't seem to help and only made me feel like shite but the very next day I had more milk than I knew what to do with. 
> 
> Not everyone has the same instant love reaction that everyone says you should have. I did, then didn't. But this seemed to flow better. 
> 
> I only had one guess. One. Come onnnnn. But it's a girl. And her name is pronounced Sar-ay-yah. 
> 
> I might bring more to the table as the mood strikes but for now the story is finished as I am working on other stuff. 
> 
> I've also written other works related to fantasy and other shows and they can be found on my tumblr. 
> 
> Tumblr: http://araminia16.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> So after some asking on Tumblr and Ao3 I'm doing an extension on my story for Rayllum week. Expect another chapter in the second trimester in a few days. It should have an tooth rotting amount of fluff in it. This one was a little heavy but it is where my muse wanted to go. :) See you soon!


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